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I would use double foil pans, and squares cut from cartons to support the bottom. Of additional concern would be covering; plastic wrap or foil. Instructions should state that oven is preheated. Also, acknowledge that oven temperatures will vary, and give a variety of indicators of doneness (color, aroma, other appearance, etc.) Recommendation to support the foil pans with a baking sheet or other pan (even a skillet!) during baking. Have you considered using just a bottom crust with a strusel topping? Or deepdish style pie with only a top crust?

Brownies can be made with melted butter; I like to add chopped dried tart cherries. Quick chill in the fridge, and glaze with chocolate butter cream, rather than ganache. If you have access to the kitchen on another day, butter cream stores nicely. Blondies with chocolate chips are also pretty quick to pull together and bake. As for vegetables, have you considered pumpkin tarts, or a savory item like quiche or caramelized onion & cheese tarts.

Ooh! just rereading this thread, and mention of peanut butter... what about warm-ish cooked veg (can blanch and shock the day before) with peanut sauce, hard cooked eggs for those who eat them, and brown rice? With chili paste/hot sauce condiment. Rice and peanut sauce are warm, everything else is room temp. Holds well There is an Indonesian name for this sort of dish, but I don't recall right now.

Sorry, pasta with cheese and heavy cream is certainly not vegan. Vegetarian, but not vegan. I cook weekly for 120 ppl, with 4 hrs turnaround (for 4 people) from supplies in the door to dinner on the bench, for cafeteria style dinner service. Our budget is $3 pp, in western Canada. We tend to cook meat meals 75% of the time, as many of our guests are cash-strapped carnivores. So, I have served: meatloaf/rice/tossed salad/apple cobbler/cooked vegetable; turkey ratatouille, rice, salad, puffed rice squares; savoury bread pudding with s.d. tomatoes and pesto/fruit salad; chick pea and root vegetable curry with coconut and rice; roast chicken legs with mashed potatoes and frozen veg. Not very inspiring food choices, but basic fare, which the guests seem to want. 26 ppl for dinner is my immediate family, their kids and partners, plus one or two neighbors. i.e., Christmas Eve supper.

I have also purchased small pots of basil - from the supermarket produce (not floral) section, and the potted plants from the nursery. In my experience, the plants survive longer when re-potted with more soil. As for the cilantro not growing, that particular herb prefers cool climate, so if you try again, move to a bright but not south-facing window Herbs which we used dried here include: garlic, ginger, sweet basil, oregano, savory, dill, thyme, bay leaf, marjoram. I also use all of those in the fresh form, but in different applications.

1. look in the fridge and create "something" out of the bits and pieces. Savory bread pudding, soup, pot pie, etc. 2. tell DH to cook for a couple of days 3. make noodle soup/instant ramen with "add ins" 4. eat out or get take out for 2 or 3 days in a row.

Splitting a pie should be completely doable. Especially if you are inclined to pre-cook your apple filling, the way my kid sister does. Then the apples and berries will reach doneness at about the same time. I'd want the "middle" slices... with both fruits! TIA. But really, in my family, we would just make two smaller pies.

Useful to have: peas, tater tots, chopped onions/bell peppers/celery (ie, chop a bunch and freeze), puff pastry sheets/blocks/vol au vent, pizza dough, flaky pastry tart shells. I also like to have room for various types of stock, frozen flat in ziplock bags, and to keep a bag or two of ice cubes, separate from the icemaker bin. Oh, and whole wheat flour and brown rice flour. And nuts.

Should be fine. Just remember to thaw and bring the batter close to room temperature before baking. Even more reliable if you use double-acting baking powder. Baking powder is formulated to start rising immediately when the mixture is moistened. Double-acting will have a second rising-powder reaction when heat is added.

I've recently tried the Glutino brand of GF pastry, and it was completely adequate So, you could use that for making a pie or crostata, using tapioca to thicken the filling. Tiramisu: make "ladyfingers" using rice flour. Or, use those same ladyfingers to make a trifle.